# Temp Control, a Bunch of Hooey?



## ColdCuts (Jul 21, 2006)

I'm not trying to be controversial. I know all about beetles. I've seen the horrific pictures. I freeze incoming stock before it goes into my fridgador. So, obviously, I've already been convinced that temp control is a necessity for my cigars. So, why then do I question temp control?

Over the years, I've spent more time than I care to admit fantasizing over those big beautiful cabinet humidors that you see on many online retailer's websites. And you know, those massive armoire humidors are pricey, but they don't get _out-of-this-world pricey_ until you start looking at the temperature controlled units. This got me glancing back over at the regular, non-temp controlled pieces, and that's when I noticed just how many _more_ non-temp controlled units there are for sale on the web than temp controlled. _Most_ -- by a long shot -- of what you see out there has no temperature control. And, at least one highly regarded online humidor retailer doesn't offer _any_ temp controlled cabinets.

So, what I want to know is, if temp control is so crucial, and around here it sure seems like it is, why do so few retailers even offer it? And even when they do, if their online catalog is any indicator, it appears that most cabinet humidors being bought and sold are regular, old fashioned, RH only cabinets. What gives?


----------



## macster (Jun 26, 2008)

An excellent point.

Living here in FL it would cost an absolute fortune to keep your house temp at 70*F or below for 6 months or more per year. Being originally from NJ and living in Chicago for 5 years I know how hot the summers can get in both of those locals too. 

As a newbie to the world of cigars I too am confused by the contradictory info relative to storage temp. So many say getting above 70*F you're at risk, yet others say they've been storing well above those temps for many years with no problems.

I've been doing the freeze routine with most of my incoming but I still worry about a beetle infestation.


----------



## chippewastud79 (Sep 18, 2007)

I have a cabinet and I keep it in my lower level of my home. I live near Cincinnati and it can get quite warm in the summer, well into the 90's for weeks. Keeping it in the basement, and in the shade help a great deal to keep the temperature down. Thusly, the temperature rarely rises above 70 to begin with, and the high temperatures are rarely held by the humidor for more than a day or two. :tu

I feel that the cabinets are likely best used for climates that do not have high sustained temps, or atleast the people buying them are typically from places as such. Also, the cooling units that come with cabinet humidors become cost restrictive for people, it can get very expensive with the Aristocrat type humidors when you can get something the same size without the cooling unit for less than half the price. 
Don't know if that helps anything, but it is my :2


----------



## macster (Jun 26, 2008)

chippewastud79 said:


> I have a cabinet and I keep it in my lower level of my home. I live near Cincinnati and it can get quite warm in the summer, well into the 90's for weeks. Keeping it in the basement, and in the shade help a great deal to keep the temperature down. Thusly, the temperature rarely rises above 70 to begin with, and the high temperatures are rarely held by the humidor for more than a day or two. :tu
> 
> I feel that the cabinets are likely best used for climates that do not have high sustained temps, or atleast the people buying them are typically from places as such. Also, the cooling units that come with cabinet humidors become cost restrictive for people, it can get very expensive with the Aristocrat type humidors when you can get something the same size without the cooling unit for less than half the price.
> Don't know if that helps anything, but it is my :2


What I would do for a basement here in FL. Unfortunately no such animal exists. Dig 1 ft. down and you're hitting the water table.


----------



## chippewastud79 (Sep 18, 2007)

macster said:


> What I would do for a basement here in FL. Unfortunately no such animal exists. Dig 1 ft. down and you're hitting the water table.


Basically the coolest part of your home, out of direct sunlight. Assuming you run an air conditioner, I would also put it near the vent. If you really keep your house in the 80's year round, I would go with the Vinotemp :tu


----------



## seegarfan (Oct 27, 2007)

We keep our home between 68-74 degrees year round. I have never noticed an effect on my collection at these temps. I have only had one beetle outbreak in 20 years of smoking cigars. That was when my AC unit malfunctioned while I was away for the evening and my smoking room, which is also where my collection is stored, went to 85 before it was fixed.

I keep all my sticks as close to 65% RH as possible and the ones I age seem to do fine at this temp spread and RH.

And I know this is like blasphemy around here but I still do not freeze my sticks before putting them away. I personally don't think beetles are a problem until you get above 80. Again this is just my experience. I may be tempting fate, and may have to go back on this. But so far only one outbreak in 20 years and that was confined to 1 box when the temp went to 85.

So I guess my answer on temp controlled cabinets would be no use for me, because I keep my room temp in the 68-74 degree spread.

Just my :2


----------



## mikeyj23 (Feb 25, 2007)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you truly freeze _everything_, then there are no beetles to emerge when temps get high. My thought on large cabinet humidors is that if you're going to spend the money for one, you might as well get it temperature controlled so you don't have to worry about it. The opposite would be like ordering your Maserati for $160,000 but opting not to get the alarm for $700.


----------



## seegarfan (Oct 27, 2007)

I guess what I was trying to say is.......I don't want the hassle of having to freeze everything before I store it. And by keeping the environment temp (room temp) 74 degrees or lower, beetles are not an issue. Why spend the extra money for temp control on my humi, when I'm already paying to keep my house at this temp weather I had a humi in it or not?

It would just be redundant for me. 

AC failure or electrical failure is all I have to be concerned about, which electrical failure would take out the temp control on a humi anyway.

Just my :2

And I'm done beating this dead horse.

Mark


----------



## ColdCuts (Jul 21, 2006)

mikeyj23 said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you truly freeze _everything_, then there are no beetles to emerge when temps get high. My thought on large cabinet humidors is that if you're going to spend the money for one, you might as well get it temperature controlled so you don't have to worry about it. The opposite would be like ordering your Maserati for $160,000 but opting not to get the alarm for $700.


It sounds like you're saying, if you freeze first, there's no need for temp control, but if you're going to buy a cabinet, you may as well get temp control. 

Speaking to your first point, even if you're freezing all incoming stock, but then ultimately moving it into your 80*F cabinet, what's to stop new beetles from finding your cigars there, well after they've emerged from the freezer?

My original point was, using your car analogy, if everyone who buys a Maserati is at great risk of having their Maserati stolen, why aren't all Maseratis -- or even _most_ Maseratis -- being produced with an alarm system? As it stands now, even with the risk, Maserati dealers are producing and selling many more cars _without_ alarms than with. It just doesn't make a lot of sense. If the risk is so great, why aren't alarms becoming standard?

Sticking with your car analogy, let's say you could afford the Maserati, but not with the additional cost of an alarm. (In order for this to be relevant to humidors we have to pretend that the cost of the alarm more than doubles the total price of the car.) Do you get a Maserati sans alarm, or do you not get a Maserati? This isn't a really a good analogy because most gorillas would just spend the money on cigars and take the bus. :r

OK, enough car talk. Can we get back to cigars and cigar storage?


----------



## SmokinApe (Jun 20, 2007)

I don't freeze cigars, I could be wrong but I don't think it's good for them... I also seem to recall reading that it takes a few days in the deep freeze to kill that eggs, a regular freezer will not do the trick...

Freezing the moisture into crystals IMO causes cellular damage to the leaf that can not be reversed and when the cigars are brought to room temp the moisture needs to be reabsorbed into the leaf... I don't see the point...

I do store my sticks in two vino's at this point, I do it because it is much easier to maintain RH in a temp controlled environment ISO a fluctuating one...


----------



## kgoings (Apr 22, 2008)

It was my understanding (and I could be totally wrong) that freezing only killed the beetles, not the eggs?

Living in Arizona, I just got a $139 Vinotemp for fathers day...it was a hell of a lot cheaper than a humidor that holds the same amount...and personally I think it looks cool! It sits on top of my bar. 

I am relatively new to cigars, so my purchase of the Vinotemp was mostly because of precaution, and....my humi was full so I needed something bigger anyway.


----------



## ColdCuts (Jul 21, 2006)

As a public service, I'm reposting this link. It's pretty much everything you need to know about freezing.

See especially the third post in, by our esteemed moderator, icehog3.


----------



## mikeyj23 (Feb 25, 2007)

ColdCuts said:


> It sounds like you're saying, if you freeze first, there's no need for temp control, but if you're going to buy a cabinet, you may as well get temp control.
> 
> Speaking to your first point, even if you're freezing all incoming stock, but then ultimately moving it into your 80*F cabinet, what's to stop new beetles from finding your cigars there, well after they've emerged from the freezer?


A) That's precisely what I'm saying - if you freeze first there's not a need for temp control, but if you're buying a cabinet you might as well get the bells and whistles and not have to be so anal about freezing.

B) Freezing cigars kills the beetles and beetle eggs. I'm not quite sure how a traveling band of cigar beetles is going to travel from your neighbor's house and infiltrate your cabinet.



ColdCuts said:


> My original point was, using your car analogy, if everyone who buys a Maserati is at great risk of having their Maserati stolen, why aren't all Maseratis -- or even _most_ Maseratis -- being produced with an alarm system? As it stands now, even with the risk, Maserati dealers are producing and selling many more cars _without_ alarms than with. It just doesn't make a lot of sense. If the risk is so great, why aren't alarms becoming standard?


Because Maserati dealers can charge more if the alarm is an add-on, and if one Maserati gets stolen, insurance pays and that person buys another Maserati.


----------



## kylej1 (Jun 26, 2007)

At the start of this hobby, I stored my humidor in my room, which is constant 75-77*, because I live in Florida, its much to expensive to keep the house at a 70* constant. For the 1.5 years I have had the humidor in my room, I have never once had a problem with beetles, I have never frozen any cigars.

However due to wanting the ideal environment for my sticks, I went out and bought a Vino, they are now in a much better controlled environment. Draw back is I no longer have a nice humidor out, I miss that. Unless your temp is in the 80*+ range, I don't think will run into a problem, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be worried about beetles. Sometimes its just easier to get a controlled temp unit, so when your out(or away on business) you don't have to think to yourself "crap, I wonder what my humidor temp is at right now". When I first went away to college, I called my parents house at least 4 times a week to ask what the temp was, because I left a humidor behind for them to care for, it was quite annoying to have to call and ask alot, lol.


----------



## Acalla (Aug 13, 2008)

kgoings said:


> Living in Arizona, I just got a $139 Vinotemp for fathers day...it was a hell of a lot cheaper than a humidor that holds the same amount...and personally I think it looks cool! It sits on top of my bar.


So what is a vinotemp.... ahh. i looked that up. sweet. I have a haier brand wine cooler that I am not using at the moment. Hmmm... I think it might need to be filled up w/ cigars .

my wife will be thrilled!


----------



## Spect (Sep 19, 2007)

Here's the bottom line for me;

I have thousands of dollars worth of cigars. If I keep growing in this hobby I'll have TENS of thousands of dollars invested in cigars.

Temperature control is in insurance policy. How can I afford *not* to invest in it? :ss


----------



## pearson (May 27, 2008)

i just went with a vino when they were on sail for 140 and it paid for its self in 3 months because of being able to turn up my ac.


----------



## ColdCuts (Jul 21, 2006)

mikeyj23 said:


> A) That's precisely what I'm saying - if you freeze first there's not a need for temp control, but if you're buying a cabinet you might as well get the bells and whistles and not have to be so anal about freezing.


Well, sure, 'you might as well!' And why not? Rich guys like yourself can afford all the bells, and whistles, and Maseratis with alarm systems. But I'm not a rich guy, so that's why I started this thread.



mikeyj23 said:


> B) Freezing cigars kills the beetles and beetle eggs. I'm not quite sure how a traveling band of cigar beetles is going to travel from your neighbor's house and infiltrate your cabinet.


Easy. They'll fly. Tobacco beetles do travel. And, they're looking for more than just tobacco. From bugspray.com:

"Though they will crawl while feeding, adults like to fly which makes them particularly hard to handle. It is not uncommon to have them fly into your home during the spring or summer and once inside, make themselves unwanted permanent guests.

Though they love tobacco, cigarette beetles can thrive on just about any food stuff. They will readily eat books, furniture, stored dried plants, canvas paintings, anything made of straw, just about any spice, cookies, flour, pasta, cotton, medicine, dog food and [even] rat poison!"



mikeyj23 said:


> Because Maserati dealers can charge more if the alarm is an add-on, and if one Maserati gets stolen, insurance pays and that person buys another Maserati.


This sports car analogy has outgrown it's usefulness, if ever it had any. Let's just talk about cigars and get back to the original topic which, incidentally, had nothing to do with freezing. See first post.


----------



## ColdCuts (Jul 21, 2006)

kylej1 said:


> At the start of this hobby, I stored my humidor in my room, which is constant 75-77*, because I live in Florida, its much to expensive to keep the house at a 70* constant. For the 1.5 years I have had the humidor in my room, I have never once had a problem with beetles, I have never frozen any cigars.
> 
> However due to wanting the ideal environment for my sticks, I went out and bought a Vino, they are now in a much better controlled environment. Draw back is I no longer have a nice humidor out, I miss that. Unless your temp is in the 80*+ range, I don't think will run into a problem, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be worried about beetles. Sometimes its just easier to get a controlled temp unit, so when your out(or away on business) you don't have to think to yourself "crap, I wonder what my humidor temp is at right now". When I first went away to college, I called my parents house at least 4 times a week to ask what the temp was, because I left a humidor behind for them to care for, it was quite annoying to have to call and ask alot, lol.


Good points. Peace of mind is worth quite a bit extra.

Maybe it's only us fanatics on the forums who are so hyper aware of the possibility of tobacco beetles, and all those big non-temp controlled cabinets that we see on the web are being bought up by guys who simply don't know any better and have been lucky enough not to find out the hard way. Ignorance is bliss.


----------



## mikeyj23 (Feb 25, 2007)

Comments in bold:


ColdCuts said:


> Well, sure, 'you might as well!' And why not? Rich guys like yourself can afford all the bells, and whistles, and Maseratis with alarm systems. But I'm not a rich guy, so that's why I started this thread.
> *It's apparent you don't know me - no cabinet (cooled or not), Maserati or any sort of alarm system for me.*
> 
> Easy. They'll fly. Tobacco beetles do travel. And, they're looking for more than just tobacco. From bugspray.com:
> ...


I really didn't mean to start a pissing match, debate or even a one-on-one conversation. Accept my apologies for where it's gone and hopefully we can get back to your original question.


----------



## ColdCuts (Jul 21, 2006)

mikeyj23 said:


> I really didn't mean to start a pissing match, debate or even a one-on-one conversation. Accept my apologies for where it's gone and hopefully we can get back to your original question.


Hey, no sweat. And, I see your point about freezing being relevant to the topic.


----------



## stevieray (Sep 28, 2006)

I went back and forth with the temp control option when ordering my Aristocrat. Thing is.... I keep my house between 68 and 70 degrees in the summer. If I ordered a temp controlled unit with the thought of turning my ac down or off in the summer, then the high humidity in my area becomes an issue. It's not unusual to have humidity in the 90% range for days. For me, it made more sense to go without temp control and just keep the ac on and keep the humidity down in the house. If the power goes out I'm screwed either way. I'm not saying that this is the best way to go for everybody....but it's what I decided to do.


----------



## seegarfan (Oct 27, 2007)

stevieray said:


> I went back and forth with the temp control option when ordering my Aristocrat. Thing is.... I keep my house between 68 and 70 degrees in the summer. If I ordered a temp controlled unit with the thought of turning my ac down or off in the summer, then the high humidity in my area becomes an issue. It's not unusual to have humidity in the 90% range for days. For me, it made more sense to go without temp control and just keep the ac on and keep the humidity down in the house. If the power goes out I'm screwed either way. I'm not saying that this is the best way to go for everybody....but it's what I decided to do.


I knew I said I was done......BUT:ss I'm glad to see another member finally understands my position:tu

Mark


----------



## King Leonidas (Apr 12, 2008)

I want a Maserati.:tg


----------



## jmasterj (Mar 3, 2008)

Not to morph this topic too much but does anyone have a list of distributors/manufacturers who freeze their tobacco and fumigate before they send out there stock to be sold to us bunch of maniacs?


----------



## seegarfan (Oct 27, 2007)

ColdCuts said:


> Good points. Peace of mind is worth quite a bit extra.
> 
> Maybe it's only us fanatics on the forums who are so hyper aware of the possibility of tobacco beetles, and all those big non-temp controlled cabinets that we see on the web are being bought up by guys who simply don't know any better and have been lucky enough not to find out the hard way. Ignorance is bliss.


I guess, I'll comment again.......I have had my Aristocrat Plus for 7 + years, I did my research before I purchased.....and it was not ignorance. I have temp control.....it's called a room thermostat. Let me say again ......beetles are not an issue below 80.......and that leaves me a 6 degree cushion.

Mark


----------



## ColdCuts (Jul 21, 2006)

seegarfan said:


> I guess, I'll comment again.......I have had my Aristocrat Plus for 7 + years, I did my research before I purchased.....and it was not ignorance. I have temp control.....it's called a room thermostat. Let me say again ......beetles are not an issue below 80.......and that leaves me a 6 degree cushion.
> 
> Mark


But then you gotta run the AC when you're away from home too, no? If you're doing that it's gonna cost ya, especially if you're away from home 40+ hours a week, or away on vacation.


----------



## blckthree (Jan 19, 2008)

My a/c is on 24 / 7 all the time, unless the heat is on in the winter. If I'm gone on vacation, the dog still needs his a/c. I'm happy with my sticks at 75.

Mike :ss


----------



## jkorp (Sep 27, 2007)

I disagree, beetles can be an issue at 35F as well as 80F. People seem to forget that just because you have temp control, be it cabinet or room thermostat, if beetle are existing in the tobacco when it arrives to you only freezing will kill them. Beetles are a real concern, why avoid it. Most people think that nothing will happen to them, but we still all have insurance.

Just storing at 65F will keep you safe from eggs hatching, thats about it. Larvae and beetles can still party at this temp.

I don't have the big bucks, and if I did I still don't know if I'd buy a temp controlled Aristocrat. I would rather use that money for cigars and buy another Vinotemp.

If you need temp control on a budget, the Vinotemp is the way to go. Peace of mind for me is freeze and put in the Vino. Beetles, larvae and eggs don't have a chance then.


----------



## ColdCuts (Jul 21, 2006)

jkorp said:


> I don't have the big bucks, and if I did I still don't know if I'd buy a temp controlled Aristocrat. I would rather use that money for cigars and buy another Vinotemp.
> 
> If you need temp control on a budget, the Vinotemp is the way to go. Peace of mind for me is freeze and put in the Vino. Beetles, larvae and eggs don't have a chance then.


I hear ya jkorp, but why then, do you suppose, the vast majority of humidor cabinets being sold on the web are _without_ temp control?

As for the Aristocrat/Vinotemp compare and contrast, not only do Aristocrats look a _helluva_ lot better than Vinotemps, they allegedly work better too, right? As for me, I'm tired of struggling to keep the RH in my fridgador up, and I'm tired of emptying the drip tray twice a day too. I'd prefer something more maintenance-free and precise.


----------



## seegarfan (Oct 27, 2007)

ColdCuts said:


> But then you gotta run the AC when you're away from home too, no? If you're doing that it's gonna cost ya, especially if you're away from home 40+ hours a week, or away on vacation.


This is true...but again that's not an issue for us. We keep the house on a set temp all the time. 74 degrees in the summer, 68 degrees in the winter. We don't turn them up or down. Once the house temp goes outside those parameters we cool or heat, whichever is required. And in our area the humidity in the summer is so high that even if the temp dropped down in the evening, you don't help yourself out any by turning off the AC and opening windows, because then you just have to run it that much harder to remove the humidity from the home that it does not save anything.

My wife and I made a decision a long time ago that we will be comfortable in our home. If we need to save money it will be else where than in our home comfort.

I don't believe in shivering in the winter or sweating in the summer. :ss

I also have a smoking room in the house that I am able to enjoy year around regardless of outside temp. That is just my philosophy.....I realize everybody's situation may be different......but I believe I have made the case, that for me, to have added temp control to my Aristocrat would have been a waste of money.:tu

Mark


----------



## jkorp (Sep 27, 2007)

ColdCuts said:


> I hear ya jkorp, but why then, do you suppose, the vast majority of humidor cabinets being sold on the web are _without_ temp control?
> 
> As for the Aristocrat/Vinotemp compare and contrast, not only do Aristocrats look a _helluva_ lot better than Vinotemps, they allegedly work better too, right? As for me, I'm tired of struggling to keep the RH in my fridgador up, and I'm tired of emptying the drip tray twice a day too. I'd prefer something more maintenance-free and precise.


Could be a several of reasons why there are not many temp control options. One maybe price. Another maybe they are not set and forget like most people want. My Vino is nice and works well, but needs some attention. Thats just the way it is. Another reason maybe be just ignorance. Most people think beetles will never strike them, so why invest the time and money into temp control since you've never had a problem?

As someone else said, I've got too much money tied up in cigars to not spend a little extra and go with a Vino. Hell a Vino is cheaper than any desktop humidor you're going to find. I can fit about 14 boxes and 400 singles in my Vino (with the MTMouse custom trays and drawers). I think I have a total of $240ish tied up in this setup. That aint bad for that volume of temp controlled storage space.

As for your fridgador, what are you using? RH and condensation are problems for you? Aristocrat has just developed a clever way to deal with the same condensation you have, it all gets funneled back to the humidifiers. This is bascially what I've done. Drip goes to a pan of beads. If that pan's beads look to moist, I swap it with the other pan I have in there. Rotate every week or two, I'm in there at least that much so no big deal.

I think a desktop would be more work and worry for me. Would I like a temp controlled Aristorat, damn straigh I would. But I'm not shelling out those beans, at this point in my life (3 kids gonna need braces!!!) for that when I can get 3-4 Vinos for a fraction of the price.

Oh and by the way, I like the look of my Vino, kind of sexy.
:ss


----------



## germantown rob (Sep 19, 2005)

ColdCuts said:


> As a public service, I'm reposting this link. It's pretty much everything you need to know about freezing.
> 
> See especially the third post in, by our esteemed moderator, icehog3.


Everyone freezing cigars needs to read that post! Most home freezers in your kitchen are between 25f and 30f and they cycle alot to be frost free. This means many days spent in the freezer, on the other hand a deep freezer at 0f or colder gets the job done in 24hrs. What happens to moisture when freezing changes drastically with the temps also, slower freeze larger ice crystals and more tearing of cells, the colder freeze the smaller the ice crystals and the less damage. I am surprised nobody around here goes for the nitrogen freeze :r. I personally don't freeze and I sleep just fine at night.

So why do high end cabinet companies have the option for temp controllers?
Since I keep seeing cars creep into comparisons I will use this one...It's like buying a $19000 car and optioning it up to $42000 and people do it. I love the wrx sti but I am not the norm, most will buy the $19-$24000 model and a few will spend the $38000. The same goes for cooling systems in high end cabs. Is it needed? Most say no and a few say $100 yes. Will life become simpler by getting all the options? In my humble opinion the answer is NO, there is just more that can go wrong. The cooling systems drop the temp by only 20 degrees f so if your at 100 degrees f ambient temp your cab is only maintaining 80f so it works best if it only goes up to 85 degrees f ambient. 
Wine is the same way, people buy wine fridges (for there wine and not cigars, can you believe it?) to keep them at the right temp. There was a day when wine collectors called anybody with under 3000 bottles a hobbyist and if you have that many or more bottles you don't have fridges you have a wine cellar.

As always with cigars it is a personal choice to what makes you happy.


----------



## ColdCuts (Jul 21, 2006)

jkorp said:


> Could be a several of reasons why there are not many temp control options. One maybe price. Another maybe they are not set and forget like most people want. My Vino is nice and works well, but needs some attention. Thats just the way it is. Another reason maybe be just ignorance. Most people think beetles will never strike them, so why invest the time and money into temp control since you've never had a problem?
> 
> As someone else said, I've got too much money tied up in cigars to not spend a little extra and go with a Vino. Hell a Vino is cheaper than any desktop humidor you're going to find. I can fit about 14 boxes and 400 singles in my Vino (with the MTMouse custom trays and drawers). I think I have a total of $240ish tied up in this setup. That aint bad for that volume of temp controlled storage space.


You make some good points, jkorp. So you're suggesting, rather than buy a nice big cabinet, just start buying and stacking Vinotemps, right? You know, maybe I'd consider that if I could get my _one_ fridgador to work perfectly. As it is, I don't want to take on another. I was thinking of a cabinet as the next logical upgrade, and I am _well_ out of room in my EdgeStar 18.



jkorp said:


> As for your fridgador, what are you using? RH and condensation are problems for you? Aristocrat has just developed a clever way to deal with the same condensation you have, it all gets funneled back to the humidifiers. This is bascially what I've done. Drip goes to a pan of beads. If that pan's beads look to moist, I swap it with the other pan I have in there. Rotate every week or two, I'm in there at least that much so no big deal.


I'm using an EdgeStar 18-bottle. BTW, let me be the first to say, to any Young Apes who are thinking of going the fridgador route: _Go with the Vinotemp 28-bottle!_ It's become the standard around here. And gorillas are custom building well crafted shelves and drawers to fit the Vino 28-bottle that you can buy direct from them here on CS! (See jkorp's last post.) You're not going to find that with a different size/brand. :2

jkorp, not to get too off topic, but how do you funnel the condensate into your bead pan? I need to do that. I assume this has been discussed elsewhere. Can you direct me to that thread?



jkorp said:


> I think a desktop would be more work and worry for me. Would I like a temp controlled Aristorat, damn straigh I would. But I'm not shelling out those beans, at this point in my life (3 kids gonna need braces!!!) for that when I can get 3-4 Vinos for a fraction of the price.


I'd _LOVE_ a temp controlled Aristocrat too, but the THC end tables start at $2199 and up, and that's just not in the budget. And _that's_ what got me looking at the just as beautiful, far less expensive, non-temp controlled Aristocrat cabinets in the first place, which brings us back to here! :r



jkorp said:


> Oh and by the way, I like the look of my Vino, kind of sexy. :ss


 :r


----------



## orca99usa (May 23, 2008)

> I personally don't freeze and I sleep just fine at night.


Same here. Maybe I have just been fortunate, but I haven't had any beetle issues.

My one and only humidor is a desktop, and the only temperature control I have is the thermostat in the house. I keep it around 78 in the summer, and around 68-70 in the winter. Since it is often 115 outside, it would cost the equivalent of the gross national product of Zimbabwe to keep the house at 70 degrees (and I have good insulation).


----------



## blckthree (Jan 19, 2008)

orca99usa said:


> Same here. Maybe I have just been fortunate, but I haven't had any beetle issues.
> 
> My one and only humidor is a desktop, and the only temperature control I have is the thermostat in the house. I keep it around 78 in the summer, and around 68-70 in the winter. Since it is often 115 outside, it would cost the equivalent of the gross national product of Zimbabwe to keep the house at 70 degrees (and I have good insulation).


115, but that's dry heat! Isn't that what they always say? :r

I too have one desktop humidor. I am close to having that filled, or another round of cigar tetris. I have been debating the vinotemp, or another desktop humidor. I havent been concerned about temperature because the house either has on a/c or the furnace 365/24/7.

I am still trying to fool myself, thinking I won't get too close to the edge of the slope and fall off. I have rationalized that one more desktop would get me by. It would let me buy a box or three or more of some of the sticks I like on a regular basis, and leave the second humidor for overflow and 5'ers of this and a couple of that etc.

If I do the Vinotemp, I think that would push me down the slope. I would then want to fill it up. And now we are talking about a lot more than 3 or 4 boxes!

So I sit here fat, dumb, and happy, thinking I am safe from the slope. Knowing I will keep my wife happier with two desktops rather than one large Vino somewhere in the house.

At least it all sounds good, right? :r

Mike :ss


----------



## jkorp (Sep 27, 2007)

ColdCuts said:


> jkorp, not to get too off topic, but how do you funnel the condensate into your bead pan? I need to do that. I assume this has been discussed elsewhere. Can you direct me to that thread?


This is a good thread Munkey put together:
http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=145674

If you have any question with it lmk. My setup has worked pretty darn good for about a year now.


----------



## cubanplz (Aug 14, 2008)

This my first post, but ill add to this discussion none the less.

You've already invested hundreds if not thousdands of dollars in fine smokes, why not create the best most stable enviornment for them? All i know is that i spent around 200 dollars on something i can litterally store thousdands of cigars in, which is a sealed system, and can control temp for about the same price a decent 150 count desktop humidor costs.


----------



## tedrodgerscpa (Jun 22, 2006)

(flame suit on)

I don't freeze my cigars, as I've been part of a 'blind taste pass' to see if a frozen cigar tastes different from a nonfrozen one.

We passed a total of eight cigars, each in pairs of two. Only one person knew which was frozen, and which one wasnt.

Among the passed sticks were NCs and CCs

I was able to identify the frozen one in three out of four pairs because every time one tasted sort of 'off' to me, thus giving me the hypothesis that freezing can affect the taste of cigars.

Before I would consider this pure science, I'll defend the taste test. Only one person knew which one was frozen, and which one wasn't... the bands were marked with different colored tape.

In full disclosure, a sample size of four pairs (eight total cigars) is not enough to prove it irrefutable. Also, out of the ten guys participating in the blind taste pass, only three of us faired better than 50% correct.

So, bottom line, I don't freeze smokes. Ever.

(flame suit off)


To recapture everything that folks said above, I have too much emotional and financial commitment to my cigars. Beetles would break my heart.


A vinotemp runs 199.99 at Target when they're not on sale. It would be tough finding a quality 200+ stick humidor that retails for less than $200, and that doesn't give you temp control.

Vino is an affordable piece of mind for cigar storage, and is widely supported on these boards.

:2


----------



## jkorp (Sep 27, 2007)

tedrodgerscpa said:


> (flame suit on)
> 
> I don't freeze my cigars, as I've been part of a 'blind taste pass' to see if a frozen cigar tastes different from a nonfrozen one.
> 
> ...


There are many variables to consider in a test like this, one being, how much time had the thawed cigars been allowed to sit at "normal" temp?

A cigar a week out of the freezer definitely tastes a little off. Give 3 months and I can't taste the difference.

As I said before, temp control keeps eggs from hatching, it won't do anything for beetles or larvae that are already present when you receive the cigars.

I totally agree with you on the Vino, you cannot beat it anyway you look at it. You will not find a 20ish box capacity humidor anywere for the price, period.


----------

